Product Description
"A gleeful, poetic book…. Like the best natural histories, Dirt is a kind of prayer."—Los Angeles Times Book Review

"You are about to read a lot about dirt, which no one knows very much about." So begins the cult classic that brings mystery and magic to "that stuff that won't come off your collar."

John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Saint Phocas, Darwin, and Virgil parade through this thought-provoking work, taking their place next to the dung beetle, the compost heap, dowsing, historical farming, and the microscopic biota that till the soil. With fresh eyes and heartfelt reverence, William Bryant Logan variously observes, "There is glamour to the study of rock"; "The most mysterious place on Earth is right beneath our feet"; and "Dirt is the gift of each to all."

Whether Logan is traversing the far reaches of the cosmos or plowing through our planet's crust, his delightful, elegant, and surprisingly soulful meditations greatly enrich our concept of "dirt," that substance from which we all arise and to which we all must return.

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 5.0 based on 6 reviews)

A Dark Gem of a Book

A well-written and researched tribute to the mysterious medium that provides the foundation for life on earth. A series of short stories that paint a colorful picture of how soil evolved with the earth.
December 01, 2007

up and clean

certainly not "DOWN AND DIRTY". highly recommended, very informative

and it makes one appreciative of the earth (dirt)...
October 03, 2007

Exciting and Provocative!

A galaxy of stars! Dirt is unique, unlike any other book I've read. (Bill Logan tends to write books like that -- his new one, Oak: The Frame of Civilization, is also unlike anything I've read, including Dirt.) The essay format works well. Logan's writing is cogent, witty, at times poignant; his imagination is fantastic. Rousing and satisfying my curiosity, he asks intriguing questions, and in seeking answers follows paths I would not have thought of but am glad to be led down by such a brilliant, quirky, earthy guide. Technicalities of soil science and geology are illuminated by personal experience and reflection on spirituality, childhood dreams Ilike digging to China), and encounters with masters of human achievement. This book may be ten years old but it's still exciting and provocative. I'm pleased to hear it is to be the subject of a documentary film; I hope that will lead to a reprint of this book, which is long overdue.
August 26, 2005

Inspires passion for regeneration through soil.

I feel in love with this book. Bought it as a gift and had much trouble giving it up. What a beautiful testimony to the earthly process of life and death in which we all participate. Logan's cross-disciplinary commentary was heartfelt and informative. I have told everyone I know to read it. It is magnificent.
December 16, 1997

Liked it so much it's my #1 Christmas gift to others.

Dirt: The Ecstatic Skin of the Earth by William Bryant Logan is an enlightening and heartening read for anyone who studies the earth in science or daily living. Although a few of the factoids are not quite correct (watch that logarithmic scale!), this book is full of fascinating science of the soil, surrounded by heartfelt prose. Logan makes earth-centered philosophy accessible to anyone who has ever had a gut feeling that the land is good. The religion of the soil he presents is unobtrusive, yet all-pervading. Read it and feel good.
December 08, 1997

SIMILAR PRODUCTS

Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations
by David R. Montgomery

Oak: The Frame of Civilization
by William Bryant Logan

Tales from the Underground: A Natural History of Subterranean Life
by David Wolfe, David W. Wolfe

Teaching the Trees: Lessons from the Forest
by Joan Maloof

Life in the Soil: A Guide for Naturalists and Gardeners
by James B. Nardi